Michelle was raised in Highland Park, IL and always one to welcome change, headed down South without missing a beat! She attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, loved every moment of it, added the word “ya’ll” to her daily vocabulary and graduated in May 2006 with a bachelors of arts in communication studies and Spanish and a minor in political science. After working on a contested U.S. Senate race in Tennessee, Michelle moved back to the Chicago-area in December of 2006 (yes, she was very very cold that winter). She briefly interned at a public relations firm and then jumped back into the political arena, working advance on a Presidential campaign and then managed the finance operations on several U.S. Congressional campaigns. After years of sleep deprivation and developing an unhealthy addiction to her Blackberry, Michelle determined it was time to move on – for now. She currently works in development at a local non-profit organization affiliated with Northwestern University.

Michelle enjoys catching up with her friends and family (over food and good red wine, preferably), gift giving, exercise, dressing up for football games (once a southern bell, always a southern bell!), being a free personal stylist for her friends, her quirky cockapoo Sammy, and 80 degree weather.

Michelle is thrilled to join Oy!Chicago because she loves to talk, so why not write it down!?

My single friends and I often complain about the limited selection of single men in Chicago. In reality, there are plenty of them, but it can take what seems like forever, and several heartaches and breaks, to meet the right ones.

The Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theatre (EESDT) recently celebrated its 35th Anniversary during the ten-day American Spanish Dance and Music Festival. The anniversary celebration concluded with three dramatic shows on June 24, 25, and 26 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.

The power of scent is a curious phenomenon. We are all familiar with the concept of “smelling fear.” But we can’t really smell it, because fear is an emotion, not a scent. We may see fear in someone’s eyes, or feel the tension in their muscles, but we can’t smell it. Yet, smell is so powerful that we often naturally align it with our emotions.

I’m bummed August is rapidly coming to a close. Where did the summer go? June was a massive fail weather-wise and July and August simply flew by in a blur. I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to summer in Chicago—I never even made it to the beach.

My initial thoughts about this month’s Oy! post weren’t gelling the way I had hoped, so I asked my friend Heather what I should write about. She said, “Whole Foods isn’t just a grocery store.” She is so right.

I’m stressed that I didn’t complete everything on my to-do list at work yesterday, and I didn’t have time to pick up my dry cleaning, so I have to fit that in today. I also have a date tonight—what am I going to wear?

I had a rude awakening this morning. I spent the night in Lakeview at the home of the guy I'm dating. Around 6:15 a.m. he dropped me off at my car on his way to work. It was parked right on Sheridan Road, among a slew of other parked cars. The scene looked completely normal.

Have you ever thought about what type of animal you would be? Not in terms of similarity in appearance, but in terms of behavior and personality? I really had never given much thought to this, but my boyfriend recently asked me this question as we were strolling through the Shedd Aquarium.

This is a difficult time of year for me. Every February, I'm bombarded by emails about the latest spring fashions. Always a fan of predominately neutrals paired with the unexpected neon or shimmery accent, this season's spring runway is right up my alley.

Last month I promised to write about men's spring fashion for my March post. I'm actually postponing that to next month and instead, I'm writing about dining in Chicago. I know this probably sounds like a generic and over-addressed topic, but I actually think it's interesting – the culinary experience in Chicago is so unique.

Two months ago, I promised to write about men’s spring fashion as a follow-up to my women’s spring fashion post. This proved to be more difficult than women’s because I’m much more tuned in to women’s wear and accessories.

Is it just me, or has nautical become a rather consistent annual trend come spring/summer? I’m actually a big fan of the nautical trend, and I’ll go into why, but I still find it a little funny that it has become so wide-spread and mainstream over the years.

Last month I wrote about the popularity of the nautical trend, so it's only fitting that this month, as we progress firmly into summer, I write about dressing for the beach (beach fashion goes way beyond the suit and flip-flops!) and packing for a warm-weather trip.

I am currently in the midst of a week-long Colorado vacation with my boyfriend. We spent the first part of our trip in Vail, moved on to Breckenridge for the Fourth of July, and are now in Colorado Springs for a national conference during which he’s speaking. We will move on to Denver for the weekend for some fun in the city.

As much as I love fashion and style, I wasn’t expecting my recent Colorado trip to be fashion-focused, as my boyfriend and I had big plans for more rustic adventures like hikes and horseback riding. However, on an unplanned whim, we decided to spend our final weekend in Denver following stays in Vail, Breckenridge, and Colorado Springs. To my pleasant surprise, there I was able to find my fashion fix.

I was going to write about my Top 10 list for fall clothes and accessories and discuss some of the amazing, plush leather handbags, etc., that are on my radar. But, after attending High Holiday services, I thought it appropriate to switch gears. For both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, I couldn’t help but notice the completely inappropriate attire of the tween females in attendance.

Oh winter, such a tricky fashion season. I always find that I'm more creative and spirited with my fashion over the summer. Fun colors, light weight fabrics, etc. Well, I digress ... back to winter. While maturing and getting older, I have refined/streamlined my style and I have found that during winter, a few key fashion elements are helping me get through the cold and dreary weather (only three months to go!).

This morning on the bus there was this girl sitting a few seats away from me and she looked amazing. Cute skinny jeans, chunky faux fur jacket, color-blocked black and white purse, perfect bright red manicure, and I thought I spied with my little eye a chunky bejeweled necklace under that faux fur.

A couple months ago I wrote about "pushing the fashion envelope" and taking risks with personal style. This post is meant to be a slight addendum to that one. I agree with all that I said back in February, and I definitely think taking fashion risks is empowering, but since writing that post, I have reflected more on my personal style. I have realized that there's a uniform quality to it, and actually, I’m learning to really embrace it.

Registration opens on 2/3 for new applicants and 2/2 for returning applicants

Spend 10 days in Israel this summer for free on the Ultimate Adventure With Israelis! All Taglit-Birthright Israel: Shorashim-JUF Chicago Community Trips will be departing from Chicago this summer, making it easier and more convenient than ever for you to get to Israel for free.

Shorashim is the community trip provider for Chicago area young adults, ages 18-26, and the only provider with flights departing from Chicago. Every Shorashim group has Israelis for all 10 days, ensuring that your experience is awesome and authentic!

Being successful in your job search isn’t luck or magic. Whether you are an administrative assistant or a senior level manager, the skills needed to land a job are the same. In today’s economic climate the competition is fierce, and having the tools necessary for a modern and relevant search takes work and knowledge. Topics range from resume and cover letter writing to finding a career identity.